A neighbor says the cars were burned beyond recognition as the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office continues investigating the deadly four-vehicle collision.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A teenager is accused of causing a fiery chain-reaction crash Sunday afternoon on Atlantic Boulevard that left three people dead.
According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the crash happened on Atlantic Boulevard, over Little Pottsburg Creek, when an Infiniti driven by a teen crossed over the center median and slammed into oncoming traffic.
Investigators say two SUVs and a car were heading east when the westbound Infiniti entered their lanes, triggering a violent four-vehicle crash. The impact was so severe that vehicles caught fire.
Neighbor Demita McEwen witnessed the aftermath.
“The cars were burned completely unrecognizable, the trees, people lying out in the street, multiple ambulances and firetrucks. It was horrific. It was the worst I have ever seen,” said McEwen.
McEwen says she saw flames and smoke from her apartment complex shortly after the crash.
“I could not get back into my apartment so I had to park behind the condo, and as I looked, it was a humongous explosion. The sky was dark, I mean, the smoke was so big that it actually set the trees on fire,” said McEwen.
Jacksonville Fire Rescue pronounced all three people inside one of the eastbound SUVs dead at the scene.
Two men in another SUV were transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. The driver of a separate eastbound car — a woman in her fifties — was also taken to the hospital and is expected to survive. The teen driver of the Infiniti was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
McEwen says her heart aches for the families involved.
“I feel sad for the family that have passed, and I feel sorry for the outcome,” said McEwen.
She adds that this stretch of Atlantic Boulevard is consistently busy and says safety has long been a concern. McEwen says this is the third crash she has witnessed along Atlantic Boulevard since moving to the area.
“What I would like to see out here is more police surveillance that will allow these people to stop, to slow down,” said McEwen.
Investigators have not said why the teen crossed the median. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office says the crash remains under investigation, and no charges have been announced at this time.
According to JSO, 42 people have died in traffic crashes in Duval County so far this year. Two people were killed in separate crashes on Monday.